


max and isaac are best friends and love each other very much

by fartking



Category: Paranatural (Webcomic)
Genre: Gen, Mild Hurt/Comfort, max says fuck!!!!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-18
Updated: 2019-02-18
Packaged: 2019-10-30 18:43:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17834066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fartking/pseuds/fartking
Summary: The dudes talk about feelings





	max and isaac are best friends and love each other very much

**Author's Note:**

> Hope nobody has standards or expects this to be in character lmao also ??? I cant figure out how commas work I haven't written in like 3 years

Max had found himself in a bit of a predicament. See, in this day and age, young rebellious pre-teens do things such as, perhaps, say fuck. The evil librarian ghost or whatever he and Isaac were fighting didn’t seem to understand that. The moment the words “fuck off” came out of Max’s mouth, they found themselves locked in what appeared to be a concrete box, not much larger than one for a refrigerator. Their first escape plans didn’t quite work, as this specific ghost’s prison didn’t seem to have the same fall-apart-when-hit-with-magic-shit-repeatedly quality that I assume other ghost cages probably do.

“Well fuck,” Max hit at the wall one last time before sticking his bat in his bag, over the angry huff of the previously mentioned evil librarian thing. Static hung in the air, leftovers from Isaac’s last attack. “We may be stuck in here for a good minute, but Isabelle and Ed will get us out eventually,” Max sighed, sliding down the wall to sit with his legs spread out.

Isaac slinked down to copy his pose. “That or… we spend eternity down here… Team Lightningrod lost forever to the cold, dark void of this concrete cell--hey, gross!” His mournful speech was cut off by Max’s inconsiderate foot hitting his face. “I would never betray you like that,” he started before noticing Max’s horrified face. “What are you looking at me like that for?”

“Nothing!” Max snapped, before taking a deep breath and starting again, “I’m just not really huge on small spaces and you were starting to freak me out.”

“You’re claustrophobic?”

“No! Just, ok…” Max hesitated, face starting to heat up, “my mom died in a magician’s sawing box trick accident. Ever since, being in a box has just scared the shit out of me, alright,” Max buried his face in his arms, pushing his knees up to rest them on. A heavy pause filled the room.

“You’re shitting me…” Isaac mumbled, wide-eyed. There was no response for a good moment, just a sniffle and the sound of the librarian sighing. 

Finally, the muffled response came back, “fuck yeah I am”. The reprimands of the ghost and Isaac came at the same time. 

“Man you can’t do that to me! What the hell dude!” At this point, it sounded like the librarian was hitting the box with a broom. Max rose his head with a wicked grin. “You’re truly awful. And claustrophobic, I guess. I’m starting to realize there’s a lot I don’t know about you, Max.”

“And what about it? Doesn’t everyone love a good mystery?” He sassed back, spreading his legs back out to bump with his friend’s. There was a stretch of comfortable quiet as Max closed his eyes and Isaac watched him fondly, contemplating.

“You’re not a mystery to everyone, are you?” Isaac broke the silence, catching Max off guard. His eyes snapped open before closing again in an attempt at faux relaxation. 

“Not everyone, I guess. I had a friend before the move. We haven’t spoken in a while but they knew… everything.” Behind his eyes, he saw Sam’s face. They knew him better than he knew himself, always ready with a sincere statement to come after every snarky quip. They saw through every facade and every lie and called him out on his bullshit. “We’ve texted once or twice since we moved but they have so many other friends, I’m sure another Max has taken my place by now,” he attempted to joke but found himself a little choked up at the thought. He was right. Sam was magnetic, there was no way they were still hung up on him when there are other, closer contenders. That’s fine. 

“I’m sure nobody has taken your place,” Isaac tried to console, secretly hoping for a bit more info. 

“I wasn’t magical at my old school, so there’s really no reason for me to be special there. It’s okay, I know how it is. I’m not upset about it. It’s the circle of life,” Max’s face was on fire, and so were his pants. Fucking liar idiot hiding his emotions. “I know you saw through that; please don’t make a spee--”

“Max, chill out. I won’t make a speech. I just want you to know: I get it. I’ve moved before too. It was hard, and I’m sorry you’re going through it. You deserve better than that, you deserve to not have to hurt. And I know I can’t magically figure out how you feel like your old friend can, but I think what we have is pretty cool, so I’m glad you’re here. I’m glad I get to be your friend.” Isaac bumped his leg against Max’s, nervously examining his friend’s face to see if he said the wrong thing. 

“That… was a speech. Fuck. I think I’m going to hug you, this is embarrassing.” Max slid his way over to Isaac’s side, pushing his arms around his middle and burying his face in his shoulder, much to Isaac’s (hidden) delight. “I’m glad we’re friends, too.” He pulled back, still leaning against Isaac slightly. “Moving was really hard. I lost my mom and then lost all of my friends. At this rate, I’ll develop abandonment issues in probably two and a half years. Maybe less.” Max sighed, mourning for the life he used to have, but still trying to be witty and light. 

“You still talk to your friends don’t you?” Isaac’s hand started ruffling through Max’s short hair in an attempt to be comforting (that worked--Max totally melted but would deny it if asked).

“Yes. No? Kind of. Sam and I talk, but not often. Occasionally they text me. That’s it. I didn’t have many other friends, to begin with, but the rest forgot about me pretty quick. I haven’t received a single message from anyone else. It’s wild how insignificant I am, I never noticed.” Max fiddled with a string on his hoodie, avoiding Isaac’s concerned gaze. His bones felt like noodles and his stomach was lead. Max closed his eyes to hold in the tears that threatened to escape. Significant is all that Max tried to be, but being snarky and maybe someone cold, with only average magical superpowers, made that feel a little unmanageable. 

“You’re kidding. Max, you’re so significant! You care so much and do so much, we wouldn’t be the team we are without you! And I would be the new kid still if you weren’t here, and that was lame.” 

“Yeah I know, I’m just going through it right now,” Max let out a deep breath, putting his head on Isaac’s shoulder. He was tired of minimizing his emotions, but like what else would he do?

“Seriously, Max. I need you to hear this. You’ve changed the team so much in the past few months of you being here. You’ve changed everything. I know we’ve only had you here for a minute, but I’m so grateful that I have you here to call my best friend. I want to make your move here the best thing that’s ever happened to you; I want to change your world the way you changed mine. I love you,” Isaac took his hand out of Max’s hair to wrap around his friend’s shoulder, holding him close to his side.

“I love you, too. Thank you. I’d rather die than make a speech for you but,” Max wiped his tears with the back of his hand “I love you a lot. I hope you know that.”  
They were broken out of their moment by the box around them disappearing with a magic poof, letting them drop to the floor, revealing their sweet (but kinda soggy) moment to the whole club, all of which had sappy smiles on their faces, having witnessed Max actually experience emotion for once.

“Oh fuck guys, don’t start.”


End file.
